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Random T Person

Leave the anthem and the flag alone! Those are symbols of national pride for a nation which can rightly be proud of itself.
Most everyone I know, Safas particularly, love the anthem. A former employee (who is still in SA) described it as the world’s best – they apparently hear it quite regularly just before getting their arses kicked at rugby matches.

God of nations
Starting the anthem with a call to god that the majority of kiwis dont believe in is an archaic reference to a bygone era.
Pull the country into the present have a anthem that represents us all now not who we once were.

beautox

Harriet

“…..With the NZ National Anthem, I actually prefer the Maori version…..”

I find that having Maori being sung first by a singer, with the public coming in with the english works very well. However some of the singers at sport fixtures can be too loud when the public is singing, drowning them out.

It’s been done that way since I left NZ, and when I first heard it it was very very good, I think the NZ Anthem would come across as a huge surprise to the americans ect – as you don’t expect English to come in like that.

To a lot of people from other countries – the UK and EU mostly – the y do like the way the NZ Anthem is done.

It would be ORSUM to hear at All Black matches the maori verse with the whole 5 verses then coming in.

wiseowl

All the fuckin things going on around us ,around the world, around our country and all the politicians can come up with is change the flag, change the anthem.
What a load of bollocks.
And no, the process to change the anthem would not be the same as the flag .Don’t fuckin dictate to me about how to change the makeup of this country and culture.

Do what the bloody people want .Start listening to those who have a bit of experience in life, those who put this country where it is today.Listen to the people in what used to be constituencies where you could give the local member a serve.
Now the member passes you off with a meaningless email.
NO.
Don’t change the flag.
Don’t change the anthem.
Start making the changes that matter.The changes that will make this country better for all, not a select bunch of elite whites and elite special race .

SGA

Griff at 9:09 am

God of nations
Starting the anthem with a call to god that the majority of kiwis dont believe in is an archaic reference to a bygone era.

meh – our culture is laden with archaic references to bygone eras (griff’s words, not mine 😉 ). I have no trouble accepting such things for what they are (to me anyway – I realise that others see these things as very much alive).

That’s just silly logic. “I don’t like this book because it’s blue and I prefer red. But it’s better than my neighbour’s green one. That said, I really enjoyed someone else’s book that I’ve never read.”

fernglas

Before God Defend New Zealand was adopted as the national anthem in place of God Save the Queen, it was the national song, meant to be sung at a bright pace and with a bit of enthusiasm. Once it became the anthem it was slowed down, presumably to give it some gravitas, and now indeed can sound like a dirge. The answer is simple; keep the song, but sing it as it is meant to be sung, with a tempo more akin to La Marseillaise than to its British predecessor.

Ross12

If all Little has to offer is suggesting changing the anthem then he must really happy with everything else the Government is doing. So JK should take that is a compliment.
Little should take a long winter holiday somewhere in the sun and let the rest of us get on with things that matter in our lives.

Rich Prick

ciaron

To be fair cmm, I think the doom and gloom come from the music.
I remember back in the day before 24hr broadcasting, TVNZ used to start with an upbeat rendition with a modern accompaniment, which sounded more like a pop song, but much better than the usual, bordering on monotone tune*

*I know SFA about music, but it feels like mostly one or two notes with a little run at the end of the line…

kowtow

Have some pride in what we have , some of you are constantly bleating about our symbols and heritage being not good enough, not modern, not with it.

Then you hype the other ,the French , the Murri.

The French anthem is totally out dated and out of sync with the claimed ideologies of modern Europe. it is actually the Song of the Army of the Rhine. mentions God and glories in the death of others as well as its own citizens and children who would grow up to be warriors. More suited to hamas or hezbollah in this day and age.

stephen2d

@dpf: I love La Marseillaise, but I should probably explain the lyrics (i hope I don’t sound patronising) where there is mention of spilling guts, sliced throats, and trample on the impure blood of the invaders.

David Garrett

First the flag, then the National Anthem, then the name of the country…Leave it all the fuck alone! On this stuff, I am very proud to nail my colours to the mast (as it were) and call myself a CONSERVATIVE…

Harriet

BTW – the NZ Anthem is really the National Hymn – as that is what it ACTUALLY is, as it was designed to be so by a government held competition for a national hymn – it was later made JOINT National Anthem with God Save The Queen – and that still stands today.

And you wouldn’t ever say that GSTQ was ONLY the NZ Anthem – so – NZA is ALSO the National Hymn. That’s unless the government took the national hymn law itself off the books – but I haven’t heard that they ever have – just that the National Hymn ‘became’ the joint NZ anthem]

It was firstly a well liked poem written by an Irishman, and the music was put to it by the winner of the hymn competition about 80yrs later.

Dennis Horne

Great Dog help this nation to its feet
With our arse on a UN seat
Hear our begging we entreat
Ye Dogs defend our free lunch
Guard our economy rock star
From the Chinese but not too far
Borrowing to avoid a civil war
Ye Dogs defend New Zealun.

waikatogirl

Griff
Starting the anthem with a call to god that the majority of kiwis dont believe in is an archaic reference to a bygone era.
***
As an atheist I don’t care that it starts with ‘God’ of Nations. Why would anyone take exception to 1 word, it’s just a word.
I love our National Anthem.
Please, please play it at a decent tempo, it does drag if played tooooo slow!

Michael

waikato
As another atheist I do take exception to having the word god in an anthem . That is one reason why you will never hear me singing it. But I sort of agree with you re the tempo. Played at about twice/three times
the normal tempo it probably wouldn’t sound too bad.
And, come to think of it, I suppose I could actually sing it, if it was at a quicker tempo. I would just change the word god to dog.
Dog of nations, at your feet ……………….

Nukuleka

Only in an insecure nation such as ours would politicians be focussed on such trivialities as the flag and the national anthem. They are what they are and should simply be left as they are.

Like Rich Prick I shudder to think what trivial and trite nonsense would emerge were a national competition be held- and preserve us all a referendum- to select an alternative National Anthem. The musical equivalent of that daft flag Gareth Morgan has given a $20,000 prize to?

Random T Person

Jeez since when did atheists get so petulant? Who cares if it starts with ‘god’. I’m an atheist too, and yet can appreciate some of the fine poetry and sentiments in the bible. ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.’

mara

Michael

Random T
The word Lord has meany meanings .
Definition of LORD

1
: one having power and authority over others:
a : a ruler by hereditary right or preeminence to whom service and obedience are due
b : one of whom a fee or estate is held in feudal tenure
c : an owner of land or other real property
d obsolete : the male head of a household
e : husband
f : one that has achieved mastery or that exercises leadership or great power in some area as in drug lord.

Boris Piscina

So it’s not the most exciting national anthem in the world, so what? We’re not the most exciting people in the world. It suits us. We’re solid, dependable, doer, dry, wry, laconic, pragmatic, down to earth, laid back, a wee bit reserved, and not a people to put ourselves forward or blow our own trumpets.

Loud flashy peoples can have loud flashy anthems. Brash cocky peoples can have brash cocky anthems. Not everyone has to set the world on fire in order to feel good about themselves.

Get rid of that bloody abominable Mouldy version and add back a few of the missing verses. God Defend New Zealand doesn’t need changing or updating or adapting or speeding up or any other kind of dicking about. It’s fine like it is, just like the flag, and the name of the country, and the fact that we still have a Queen. Leave it alone.

kowtow

michael who doesn’t want god mentioned is back.” I do take exception to having the word god in an anthem” Speaking of meanings an taking exception, maybe michael should change his name!

“From the Hebrew name מִיכָאֵל (Mikha’el) meaning “who is like God?”. This is a rhetorical question, implying no person is like God. Michael is one of the seven archangels in Hebrew tradition and the only one identified as an archangel in the Bible.”

Just goes to show how many idiots out there have no appreciation of their own heritage.This time his own name.

Michael

kowtow
I don’t care what the Hebrew name for Michael is. In fact I don’t care what the Hebrew name for anything is.
As a matter of fact I don’t even know for sure what a Hebrew is although I think it might be another name for Jew.
And another thing. What the hell is an archangel when it’s at home?
When my wife and I named our children we just used names we liked, not because they meant something in another language.

kowtow

DH

I’ve explained that before.

Kowtow is what we do politically ,economically to the Chicoms in peking. Both parties do it. Remember how our police swept protesters off the streets at the instigation of the Chinese President? A most shameful episode in the history of this once proud democracy.

Christchurch 1999.

“Kowtow” ,is a reminder of our subservient position to the new Emperor in Peking.

Unity

I dislike our National Anthem whilst we go through the Maori version. So dull, droney and drab! Then the English version comes on with everyone singing their hearts out which makes it so uplifting and I feel proud to be a Kiwi. I do agree that they should speed it up a bit but they should ditch the Maori version. We all speak English and it’s ridiculous having it sung in a language that many of us aren’t interested in learning. It’s very telling how muted and dull it is during the first part and then when the English version comes in, the volume seems to go up and everyone joins in with great gusto.

Unity

You might like it, Mikenmild, but I don’t know anyone who does and also it’s very telling when it is sung because of the dull drone and little participation with the Maori version and then it springs to life with all and sundry joining in when the English version comes in. No, I say drop the Maori version and speed the English part up then we will have a lovely anthem and everyone can join in.

As an aside, I’m sure it is not at all hard to learn the Maori version but many don’t want to. I certainly don’t. The All Blacks, Silver Ferns and other sporting teams would have been required to learn it. Many of them are part-Maori or Polynesian anyway.

SGA

Unity at 10:59 am

You might like it, Mikenmild, but I don’t know anyone who does and also it’s very telling when it is sung because of the dull drone and little participation with the Maori version and then it springs to life with all and sundry joining in when the English version comes in.

As I said the other day, Unity, there’s a generational thing there too. Younger New Zealanders are much more capable and comfortable with the Maori version than their grandparents.

ciaron

I have played in Orchestras that have performed the NZ national anthem live for public events.

SOME music really WANTS to get out of your instrument (or out of your vocal chords) and be heard, and requires so little conscious effort from you the performer that it almost seems to play itself.

SOME music is hard and challenging to play, but the result is beautiful or exhilarating and it all seems worthwhile.

But OTHER music is dead, dark and turgid, seems to muffle itself somehow, and you really have to give it 150% before the output is even vaguely satisfactory.

Brahms’ symphonies and Elgar’s Symphonies are quite bad for that… those boys knew what they wanted to hear, and they CAN sound absolutely wonderful… but their draughtsmanship in sharing the notes around between instruments and their style of writing it all down, offers very little sympathy for the lackeys that have to try to somehow produce the sound.

The ONLY pieces I’ve encountered that are even worse than Brahms’ & Elgar’s symphonies for the amount of effort they require to achieve quality of the output, are God Defend New Zealand and God Save the Queen.

This is not in itself an argument for changing our national anthem… but I want to stress that Andrew Little is quite correct and his layman’s assessment of the piece is spot on! It really is even worse than it sounds.

Shunda barunda

You gotta laugh at these grouchy old women masquerading as atheists, “meeeeeh, the anthems got God in it, I won’t sing it, change it”

How do you people actually get through life? do you spit at people as they walk past? shout at the TV or perhaps radio repeatedly every day?

Our national anthem has been consistently voted best in the world by foreigners, the only people that don’t like it are indigenous embittered atheists and the league of national nihilists.

Our national anthem has words and aspirations every New Zealander can be proud of, it is a proclamation of unity, love, strength, and desire to be worthy of international praise for all the right reasons, it is anti tyranny, anti corruption and anti hate.

Get over yourselves, keep your nihilistic misery and hatred to yourselves.

Shunda barunda

Unity

waikatogirl

Michael
As another atheist I do take exception to having the word god in an anthem . That is one reason why you will never hear me singing it. But I sort of agree with you re the tempo. Played at about twice/three times
the normal tempo it probably wouldn’t sound too bad.
And, come to think of it, I suppose I could actually sing it, if it was at a quicker tempo. I would just change the word god to dog.
Dog of nations, at your feet ……………….
***
Bod may be a good fit instead of god if you are that sensitive. Or cod, log, fog, hog, nod, rod, sod, wad.
Choose one, sing loud and proud. 🙂

Johnboy

I’d go for Log! 🙂

Log of Nations at our feet
In the bonds of bark we meet
Once we’ve stripped it
It’s complete
We can then export it
Value added ain’t our thing
To cheap and nasty do we cling
Until bankruptcy starts to sting
Songs like this we still will sing! 🙂

The anthem has god in every fucken verse.
Its basically a hymn of worship to a god I dont believe exists.
I find beseeching to an imaginary friend a stupid relic of an ignorant past.
I cringe whenever I hear god of nations at thy feet.
It doesn’t represent us it represents you and your belief system.
It is not an appropriate anthem for all New Zealanders.
That you think it is appropriate to have hymn to god as our anthem is another case of god whackers thinking all unbelievers should make allowances for their stupid superstitions.
No sorry not any more that time has gone .

Michael

waikato
Cod of nations? Nah. Codpiece of nations , maybe.
Log of nations ? Ranfurly Shield, maybe.
Fog of nations? Nah, although you being waikatogirl I can understand you thinking of fog.
Hog of nations? Prefer dog, if you are going to have an animal . Or would you be meaning a Harley-Davidson?
Nod of nations? Nah.
Rod of nations? Depends on what sort of rod, I guess.
Sod of nations? Maybe, so long as you don’t mean sod off.
Wad of nations? You mean like in wad of money? OK. We could all pull out a roll of notes as we sing it.

Hey, I got a lot of faith in you
I’ll stick with you kid- that’s the bottom line
Yeah, you have a lot of fun don’t you
And living with you is a ball of a time
Hey beauty when the mood gets you down
Your bottom lip’s near dragging on the ground
That’s when I gotta play the clown for you
Black humour made you kick your blues

Howdy Angel
Where did you hide your wings
Her love shines over my horizon- she’s a slice of heaven
Warm moonlight over my horizon- she’s a slice of heaven

Hey, I gotta lotta faith in you
I’ll stick with you kid- that’s the bottom line
Yeah, we have a lot of fun don’t we
And heaven has to be with you all the time
Hey beauty when the mood gets you down
Your bottom lip’s near dragging on the ground
That’s when I gotta play the clown for you
Black humour made me kick my blues

Howdy Angel
Where did you hide your wings
Her love shines over my horizon- she’s a slice of heaven
Warm moonlight over my horizon- she’s a slice of heaven

Shunda barunda

The anthem has god in every fucken verse.
Its basically a hymn of worship to a god I dont believe exists.

Oh you poor baby!

I find beseeching to an imaginary friend a stupid relic of an ignorant past.

I can imagine you listening to music and noticing every irrational lyric to do with love or spirituality and hearing your teeth grit in a rage of ‘rational’ hatred for all the stupidity the human race engages in – except for you of course.

I cringe whenever I hear god of nations at thy feet.

See!!

It doesn’t represent us it represents you and your belief system.

It represents ideals all NZers can be proud of, don’t focus on the chocolate bar wrapper Griff, the chocolate is still good.

It is not an appropriate anthem for all New Zealanders.

And any replacement won’t be either.

That you think it is appropriate to have hymn to god as our anthem is another case of god whackers thinking all unbelievers should make allowances for their stupid superstitions.

Just sing something else Griff, I am sure you will be the hero of the day at any large gathering where the anthem is sung.

Michael

pb
So you are an aussie and you love our anthem? Well,I have to say it is probably better than yours , not that that’s saying much.
As I have already mentioned I haven’t sung our national anthem for about 70 years, so all this talk about a new one is not a distraction so far as I am concerned. Hell, if the powers that be decided on a new one I might not like that one either.
I am more interested in us getting a new flag, ours is too much like yours. Mind you, you could do with a new flag as well, imho.

jasonh

If we are going to change it I vote for Home land and seas by Trinity Roots
Great Song
Has the following advantages of
1: Great song
2: Great band
3: Great sentiment
4: So nicely long that we can win sports matches by default due to its length
5: Would love to see everyone trying to hit the high notes

Brigitte

Well, the big Yin (Billy Connolly) has remarked on this very issue (w.r.t. the UK version):

“I’m gonna leave you, and I’m gonna leave you with a complaint. This country is in a terrible state, according to some people, and I know why. Now you’d blamed it on lot of things, on all unemployment and the value of the pound and all sorts of other magic things. It’s because the national anthem is boring. No, no, don’t get me wrong, I’m not arguing with the lyrics. Well, I am. But not them all. I mean, I think the Queen should be saved, I think it’s a great idea. And if anybody is gonna save her, God is the very chap. Who am I to rock the boat. Not I, nice person, showbusiness personality. Is a appalling song, and it’s racist, and it’s anti-Scottish. The fourth verse is all about Marshal Wade coming up, to give us a belt in the mouth. And I don’t like it. “And with a mighty rush, rebellious scots to crush.” Oh, do you bloody think so? I don’t see any rush to Hamden to crush anybody. I rest my case.

No. You see, if you have been looking at the olympic games, we come in with the flag. Daaahhh-daaahhh-daaaahhh-daaaahhh-dah-daahhhh. We are being lapped. The games haven’t even started yet. Daaahhh-daaahhh-daaaahhh-daaaahhh-dah-daahhhh. The emerging nations are coming: Ra-ta-ta-da-ta-ta. “We come from Jeblovia, and we don’t give a shit.” “We’ve got a national debt of 50 squillion pounds. And we don’t give a [monkey’s ???].” “Gooood saaave…” All the other nations don’t want us to win, cause when we win it take half an hour to get the flag up the bloody pole. “oooour graaaacious…” No wonder Daley Thompson scratched under it… Seizing up. So I think it’s time for a change. And I think a refreshing change would be to use the theme from The Archers. “Dom-da-dom-da-dom-da-dom-la-la-lah-la-laah-laah….” Can you imagine it. Trooping of the colour. The Queen sitting on a horse, like that. (Highpitched) “La-la-lah-la-lah-la-lah….” And then the public in the seats go “Rom-tee-diddeley-dom-rom-tee-diddely-dom.” So let’s give it a bash here. On, two, three… Just think… now that’s gonna be the lyrics. We are not gonna change a thing, it’s gonna be. “Rom-tee-rom-tee-dom-tee-dom…” Just think, the new immigrants can learn it on the bus on the way in from Heathrow. “Rom-tee-rom-tee-dom-tee-dom…” How would you feel as a new immigrant, getting of the bus. “do you know the bloody national anthem?” “La-la-lah-la-lah-la-lah…”